Car-spring



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. RGODLEY CAR SPRING.

No. 259,381. Patented June13, 1882.

. .lllHllIl 1||||||||| 7 INVENTOR (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

G. P. GODLEY.

GAR, SPRING. 7 No. 259,381. Patented June 13, 1882.'

lag: if MW/A WITNESSES: 3 1 7 [NVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. GODLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,381, dated June 13, 1582.

Application filed December 15, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GODLEY, a citizen of the United States, resident at the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Oar Springs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved carspring. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of same. Fig. 3 is tr transverse vertical section of my improved car-spring, showing a nest of three springs; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modified form of arrangement of my invention.

My invention has relation to railroad-car springs, and has for its especial object to provide a nest of edge-coiled spiral springs for railroad-cars which will possess great carrying capacity, and which will adjust itself to the varying condition of a light and aladen car, so that the latter is carried by such springs just as softly and with as easy a motion when empty as when laden. Heretofore edge-coiled spiral springs have been constructed with a view of obtaining the greatest carrying capacity commensurate with the amount of steel used. Such springs, when in service under a car heavily laden, have the effect of causing such car to ride thereon with ease and softness of motion; but as soon as such car becomes empty the pressure or weight of the load is taken 05 of said springs, and the latter do not then form an elastic support for the car, as the'weight of the empty car is not sufficient to bring the springs into service. Hence such springs then become merely rigid supports for the empty car, and when the latter is exposed to travel in such state it is jolted and jarred to suchextent that its frame-work and other component parts thereof become loosened and are soon destroyed and unfit for service.

With myimproved nestof ed ge-coiled spiral springs the caris sprin g-supported at alltimes i. 6., when laden orwhen empty; or, in other words, with my improved spring, the resilient action of the latter is at all times governed by the weight of the car, while withlthose springs just above described the resilient action of such springs is only governed by the car when it is laden.

My invention has for its further object to provide separating and guiding pins for anest of spiral springs which will be more effective than those heretofore used.

My invention accordingly consists of a cyliudrical case having a closed top and lower exterior annular flange. Upon said flange, and surrounding the body of said case, is placed a spiral spring of a length, when not compressed, to project above the top of said case.

Inside of the latter is placed another spiral spring, ora nest of spirals may be substituted therefor and placed therein. Such construction results in a case provided with an exterior and an interior spring or springs, one of which is adapted for carrying the light or empty car and the other cominginto service when the car is laden. Such springs may be so construct ed that the outer one will carry the unladen car and the inner one the weighted car; or, if desired, the inner spring may be so formed that the weight of an empty car will bring it into service first, while the exterior spring will not begin to be compressed until the car is laden.

If an interior nest of springs be used, it is essential that such springs be held in position an d separated from each other. More especially.

is this the case when the springs forming the nest are not all of a length. To effect such guiding and separation I em ploy a double pin, or a pin having varying diameters or cylindrical sections of a special formation, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A A represent the car-bolsters, between which my improved nest of springs (shown at A) is designed to be placed. Said nest is composed of a cylindrical case, B, having a closed top, I), and a lower exterior annular flange, I).

O is an edge-coiled spiral spring, resting on said flange b and surrounding the case B, so

that the latter is. within the central opening of the spring (3. Such spring is of a height that it projects above the top of the case, as shown.

Dis another edge-coiled spiral spring, placed within the case B, as illustrated, and is held in position by a pin, a, on bolster A. The

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springD is smaller in diameter than the spring 0, and is so made that it is of greater carrying capacity than spring 0. The latter, being of a proportionately large diameter,will more readily be compressed. Hence its resiliency will conieinto actionin advance of that of spring D, so that when acaris equipped with such springs and the latter are in service a light or empty car will be carried by the spring 0, the weight of the car being suflicient to compress such springs nearly one-halfof theirlimit of motion. Consequently such empty car, when so supported,will be carried with ease and softness of motion. Any concussion resultingi'rom shocks, jolting, or other cause is absorbed by the uncompressed position of said spring 0.

As soon as the caris laden, then its weight, having become more than the springs O are capable of supporting, causes said springs to be wholly compressed, as shown in Fig. 2, or nearly so, as shown in Fig. 3, and the weight of the laden car falls on case B, as shown; but as said caseis supported by the internal spring, D, said weight falls on such spring, and it being of great carrying capacity, the weight of the laden car is suflicient to compress it only onc-halfot' its limit of motion, the remaining half of such movement-or, in other words, onehalf of the resiliency of the sprin g-bein g thereby held in reserve to absorb the concussions produced from jolting or jarring of the car when it travels over the uneven places of the roadway. Hence it is plainly seen that the light or empty car is carried by the springs C and the loaded car by springs D, this result being obtained without danger of breaking the flange b elf of the case B, for just as soon as the car is increased in weight beyond the extent of the carrying capacity of springs G the latter close, and bolster A then rests on case B, the weight of the car being thereby transferred from flange b to case B and its supporting spring D. The springs C then merely rest in acompressed condition between such flange and bolster, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

'hen the car is emptied of its freight the bolster A rises from case B and the springs 0 come into service, as above described.

If desired, the inner casing-spring may be made of less carrying capacity than the outer spring. In such case the weight of the empty car will be carried by the said inner spring,

and when the car is laden such spring will be wholly or nearly compressed, and the flange of case B will then rest upon the bolster A,

and the outer spring then comes into service to support the load.

In the drawings Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have shown the casing placed between the bolsters A A with the flan ge toward the lower bolster, A 5 but such case, with its springs, may be turned upside down without altering the de-- scribed operation of the springs, as shown in Fig. 4.

If desired, a nest of two or more springs may be substituted for spring D. Such arrangement is shown at E and E, Fig. 3, wherein the innerspring, E,is shorter than the outer spring, E. These springs are held in place by pins FF, which are respectively formed upon the easin gB and a casting, G, secured to orheld by frictional contact on bolster A. Said pins F are composed of two nearly-straight cylindrical sections of varying diameter, as shown atff, the sectionfentering central opening of spring E and section f that of spring E, the section f, formed on casing B, being long enough to enter the upper part of the central opening of spring E when the latter and spring E are not in a state of compression. Such construction of said pins permit the latter to more'eflectively hold the springs E and E in their respective positions within the casing, and also to more efflciently separate them from each other, so that the respective coils of one will never touch or rub against those of the other, thereby absolutely preventing any rubbing of the coils of one spring with those of the other. Hence such springs are always in a condition for immediate use, and do not rest one against the other when not in service, as has heretofore been the case.

I have described my invention as being especially adapted to edge-coiled spiral springs; but, if desired, wire or other form of bar in cross-section may be employed, such wire or round-bar springs being shown in Fig. 4.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. A railroad-car spring composed of edgecoiled springs, one within the other, and an interposed bearing between two opposite ends of such springs, whereby one of such springs is adapted and designed to carry the empty car and the other to carry the loaded car.

2. A railroadcar spring composed of coiled springs, one within the other, and an interposed bearing or case, B, of cylindrical form, flanged at I), one of said springs being of a greater or different carrying capacity than that of the remaining spring or springs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The cylindrical bearing or case B for railroad-sprin gs, having flange b, closed top I), and pin F, formed of two sections, f f, of difierent diameters, each such section being of the same diameter or area throughout its length, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of December, A. D. 1881.

' GEORGE F. GODLEY.

Witnesses:

O. B. ROBERTS, R0131. TURNBULL.

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